Flavouring component, and apparatus and method for manufacturing a flavouring component

ABSTRACT

A flavouring component for a smoking article comprising a rod of flavouring material. The flavouring material comprises a carrier material and flavouring particles adhered to to the carrier material by means of a binder. The flavouring material is formed by passing the carrier material through a mixture comprising the binder and the flavouring particles. Also disclosed is a smoking article including such a flavouring component, and an apparatus and method for manufacturing such a flavouring component.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/570,459 filed on Oct. 30, 2017, which was filed under 35U.S.C. § 371 as the national stage of International Patent ApplicationNo. PCT/GB2016/051176 filed on Apr. 26, 2016, which claims priority toBritish Patent Application No. 1507269.7 filed on Apr. 29, 2015, all ofwhich said applications are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method formanufacture of flavouring components and, in particular, an apparatusand method for manufacture of flavouring components for use in smokingarticles.

BACKGROUND

It is known to incorporate smoke-modifying agents in the body of smokingarticles to provide flavouring or other smoke or aerosol modification tosmoking articles. Flavourant granules may be incorporated into thefilter rod or the wrapping paper of a cigarette or other type of smokingarticle in order to enhance the flavour of the inhaled smoke or otheraerosol.

It is desirable to provide an alternative flavouring component, andapparatus and process for manufacturing a flavouring component for usein a smoking article.

SUMMARY

In this specification there are described embodiments of a flavouringcomponent for a smoking article, the flavouring component comprising arod of flavouring material, the flavouring material comprising a carriermaterial and flavouring particles adhered to the carrier material bymeans of a binder, wherein the flavouring material is formed by passingthe carrier material through a mixture comprising the binder and theflavouring particles.

The carrier material may be a fibrous web and the flavouring particlesmay adhere to the fibres of the web. The carrier material may be madefrom one of the following materials: aluminium, tobacco, ceramic,cotton.

The mixture through which the carrier material is passed to form theflavouring material may have a doughy consistency.

The flavouring component may comprise a discrete rod of flavouringmaterial cut from a continuous rod of flavouring material.

The flavouring component may comprise an outer wrap around the rod offlavouring material.

In the present specification there are also described embodiments of asmoking article comprising a rod of smokeable material, a filter rod,and a flavouring component as described above.

The flavouring component may be disposed between the filter rod and therod of smokeable material.

In the present specification there are also described embodiments of anapparatus for manufacturing a flavouring component for a smokingarticle, the flavouring component comprising a rod of flavouringmaterial, the flavouring material comprising a carrier material andflavouring particles adhered to the carrier material by means of abinder, the apparatus comprising a container containing a mixture of thebinder and the flavouring particles, the container comprising an outlet,and a supply of carrier material, wherein the apparatus is configured toconvey a length of carrier material through the mixture within thecontainer so that the flavouring particles adhere to the length ofcarrier material by means of the binder to form a length of flavouringmaterial, and is configured to convey the length of carrier material outof the outlet extrude the length of flavouring material to form the rodof flavouring material.

The length of carrier material may be a continuous length of carriermaterial, and the apparatus may be configured to convey the continuouslength of carrier material through the mixture so that the flavouringparticles adhere to the continuous length of carrier material by meansof the binder to form a continuous length of flavouring material, andmay be configured to extrude the continuous length of flavouringmaterial to form a continuous rod of flavouring material.

The mixture may have a doughy consistency.

The apparatus may comprise means for conveying the mixture towards theoutlet of the container. The conveying means may comprise a screwconveyor located in the container and facing the outlet of thecontainer. Alternatively, or in addition, the conveying means maycomprise means for pressurising the mixture in the container.

The apparatus may comprise means for pulling the length of flavouringmaterial out of the container through the outlet.

The outlet may comprise a die and the die may be configured to shape theextruded length of flavouring material as the length of flavouringmaterial is expelled through the outlet to form the rod of flavouringmaterial.

The die may be configured to provide a helical profile to the rod offlavouring material.

The apparatus may comprise means for twisting the length of carriermaterial as it is conveyed through the mixture.

The apparatus may comprise an injection nozzle configured to inject anamount of binder in the container.

The apparatus may comprise a wrapping station configured to provide anouter wrap around the rod of flavouring material.

The wrapping station may be configured to pull the length of flavouringmaterial out of the container through the outlet.

The apparatus may comprise a cutting station configured to cut the rodof flavouring material into discrete rods of flavouring material.

In the present specification there are also described embodiments of amethod of manufacturing a flavouring component for a smoking article,the flavouring component comprising a rod of flavouring material, theflavouring material comprising a carrier material and flavouringparticles adhered to the carrier material by means of a binder, themethod comprising filling a container with a mixture comprising thebinder and the flavouring particles, the container having an outlet,supplying a length of carrier material, conveying the length of carriermaterial through the mixture within the container towards the outlet sothat the flavouring particles adhere to the length of carrier materialby means of the binder to form a length of flavouring material, andconveying the length of the carrier material out of the outlet toextrude the length of flavouring material to form the rod of flavouringmaterial.

The length of carrier material may be a continuous length of carriermaterial, and the method may comprise conveying the continuous length ofcarrier material through the mixture so that the flavouring particlesadhere to the continuous length of carrier material by means of thebinder to form a continuous length of flavouring material, and extrudingthe continuous length of flavouring material to form a continuous rod offlavouring material.

The method may comprise conveying the mixture towards the outlet of thecontainer.

The method may comprise using a screw conveyor to convey the mixturetowards the outlet of the container.

The method may comprise pulling the length of flavouring material out ofthe container through the outlet.

The method may comprise using a die to shape the extruded length offlavouring material as the length of flavouring material is expelledthrough the outlet.

The method may comprise using the die to provide a helical profile tothe length of flavouring material as the length of flavouring materialpasses through the die.

The method may comprise twisting the length of carrier material as it isconveyed through the mixture.

The method may comprise using an injection nozzle to inject an amount ofbinder in the container.

The method may comprise using a wrapping station to provide an outerwrap around the rod of flavouring material.

The method may comprise using the wrapping station to pull the length offlavouring material out of the container through the outlet.

The method may comprise cutting the rod of flavouring material intodiscrete rods of flavouring material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment ofan apparatus of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a flavouring component manufactured using the apparatusshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of asmoking article including a flavouring component of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment ofan apparatus of the disclosure; and

FIG. 5 shows a flavouring component manufactured using a variant of theapparatus of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus to of a first embodiment of the disclosure forthe manufacture of flavouring components for smoking articles.

The apparatus to comprises a container or bath 11 filled with a mixture12 comprising a binder 13 and flavouring particles 14. The apparatus toalso comprises a supply of carrier material 15 in the form of a carriermaterial spool 16. The apparatus to is configured to convey a continuouslength of carrier material 15 from the carrier material spool 16 throughthe mixture 12 so that the flavouring particles 14 adhere to the carriermaterial 15 by means of the binder 13, to form a continuous length offlavouring material 17.

The carrier material 15 is the form of a continuous fibrous web so thatthe flavouring particles 14 adhere to the fibres of the web and/or getembedded between the fibres of the web by means of the binder 13. In avariant (not shown), the carrier material 15 is in the form of acontinuous strand having an external surface to which the flavouringparticles 14 may adhere by means of the binder 13. The carrier material15 is made from a heat conductive material such as aluminium.Alternatively, the carrier material 15 may be made from another materialsuch as tobacco, ceramic or cotton.

The binder 13 is configured to provide adhesive properties to themixture 12 so that the mixture 12 can adhere to the carrier material 15.The binder 13 provides a doughy consistency to the mixture 12. Thedoughy consistency of the mixture prevents the mixture 12 from flowingout of the container by itself. In the present embodiment, the binder 13is made with glue diluted in water. However, it will be noted that anyother kind of binder suitable for providing sticky properties to themixture 12 can be used. For example, the binder may be made with flourdiluted in water.

The flavouring particles 14 are in the form of beads coated with one ormore flavouring ingredients, such as menthol, vanillin, benzaldehyde,cinamaldehyde, furaneol, herb oils, spice oils or citrus oils. Theflavouring particles 14 also include a binder which is, for example,similar to the binder 13 of the mixture 12. In the present embodiment,the flavouring particles 14 have a substantially spherical shape andhave a diameter comprised between 0.2 mm and 3 mm.

The container 11 comprises a base portion 18, a sidewall 19 extendingfrom the base portion 18, an upper aperture 20 located opposed to thebase portion 18, and an outlet 21. The outlet 21 is formed in thesidewall 19 and is located proximate to the base portion 18. The outlet21 is in the form of duct 22 extending outwardly from the sidewall 19 ofthe container 11.

A screw conveyor 23 is provided in the container 11. The screw conveyor23 is disposed along the base portion 18. The screw conveyor 23comprises a conveying chamber 24 and a conveying screw 25 extending inthe conveying chamber 24. The conveying chamber 24 comprises an entranceopening 26 and an exit opening 27. The exit opening 27 faces the outlet21 of the container 11. The conveying screw 25 has a longitudinal axisA-A′ extending substantially parallel to the base portion 18. Theconveying screw 25 is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axisA-A′ in the conveying chamber 24 to convey the mixture 12 from theentrance opening 26 towards the exit opening 27 and towards the outlet21. A passageway 28 is provided between the outlet end of the conveyingchamber 24 and the adjacent sidewall 19 of the container 11 throughwhich the length of carrier material 15 may be conveyed towards theoutlet 21, along with the entrained mixture 12 fed from the conveyingchamber 24 via the exit opening 27.

A spray nozzle 29 is provided at the upper aperture 20 of the container11. The spray to nozzle 29 is in fluid communication with a reservoir 30where the binder 13 is stored. The spray nozzle 29 is configured toinject an amount of binder 13 in the container 11. For example, thespray nozzle 29 is configured to fill the container 11 with additionalbinder 13 when the quantity of mixture 12 in the container 11 is gettinglow. Alternatively, the reservoir 3o stores the mixture 12 comprisingthe binder 13 and the flavouring particles 14, and the spray nozzle 29is configured to inject an amount of the mixture 12 in the container 11.

The apparatus 10 may be configured to twist the length of carriermaterial 15 as it is conveyed through the container 11. For example, theoutlet duct 22 may have projections helically formed on the insidesurface of the duct 22. Twisting the carrier material 15 as it isconveyed through the mixture 12 allows a significant quantity offlavouring particles 14 to adhere to the carrier material 15.

A wrapping station 32 is provided downstream of the container outlet 21.The wrapping station 32 is configured to wrap the extruded length offlavouring material 17 formed in the container 11 to form a wrappedextruded rod 33 of flavouring material 17. The wrapping station 32comprises a ‘garniture’ 34 in the form of a tube, having a wide entranceaperture 35 and a narrow exit aperture 36, as substantially known in theart. The garniture 34 narrows between the wide entrance aperture 25 andthe narrow exit aperture 36 at a tapered guide portion 37. The garniture34 is generally circular in cross-section. A continuous ‘garniture belt’38 extends through the garniture 34 and over a plurality of guiderollers 39. The garniture belt 38 is driven to be conveyed around therollers 39 in the direction shown by arrows ‘G’. The garniture belt 38is configured to pull the length of flavouring material 17 out of thecontainer outlet 21, and to convey the length of flavouring material 17through the garniture 34. As the length of flavouring material 17 isconveyed through the garniture 34, the length of flavouring material 17goes from being loose when it enters the wide entrance aperture 35 to amore compressed rod 33 of flavouring material 17 as it leaves the narrowexit aperture 36. A wrapping paper ‘P’, also known as outer wrap or plugwrap, may be fed from a wrapping paper spool 40 onto the upper surfaceof the garniture belt 38 and is conveyed through the garniture 34 by themoving garniture belt 38. As the wrapping paper P travels though thegarniture 34, the shape of the tapered guide portion 37 deforms thegarniture belt 38 and the wrapping paper P thereon such that, incross-section, the wrapping paper P goes from being flat (as it is onthe spool) when it enters the wide entrance aperture 35 of the garniture34, to a closed circle as it leaves the to narrow exit aperture 36 ofthe garniture 34, completely surrounding the rod 33 of flavouringmaterial. As the wrapping paper P is wrapped around the flavouringmaterial 17, the edges meet to form a seam at an upper portion of thegarniture 34. This seam may then be glued (or the wrapping paper may bepre-glued where the seam is to be formed). A section of the upperportion of the garniture 34 may comprise a heating bar (not shown) toheat and activate the glue at the seam of the wrapping to adhere thewrapping in place around the rod of flavouring material.

A cutting station 41 is provided downstream of the wrapping station 32.The cutting station 41 includes a cutting blade 42. The cutting station41 is configured to cut the wrapped rod 33 of flavouring material 17into individual lengths of discrete rods of flavouring material 17 orflavouring components 43.

In use, the container 11 is filled with the mixture 12 containing thebinder 13 and the flavouring particles 14. The garniture belt 38 isdriven over the rollers 29 in the direction shown by the arrows ‘G’. Alength of carrier material 15 is conveyed from the carrier materialspool 16, into the container 11 through the upper aperture 20, out ofthe container 11 through the outlet 21 and into the garniture 34, bymeans of the garniture belt 38. The screw conveyor 23 rotates about theaxis A-A′ and conveys the mixture 12 towards the outlet 21 of thecontainer 11.

As the carrier material 15 is conveyed in the container 11, the carriermaterial 15 passes through the mixture 12 and the binder 13 along withthe flavouring particles 14 adhere to the carrier material 15 andthereby form a length of flavouring material 17.

The carrier material 15 is twisted by the twisting means as it passesthrough the mixture 12 in the container 11 thereby promoting anincreased quantity of flavouring particles 14 to adhere to the carriermaterial 15.

After passing through the outlet 21 of the container ii, the length offlavouring material 17 is conveyed in the wrapping station 32. Thelength of flavouring material 17 passes through the wide entranceaperture 35 of the garniture 34, as shown by arrow ‘F’, and is guidedinto the tapered guide portion 37 of the garniture 34 by the garniturebelt 38. The garniture belt 38 serves to guide the length of flavouringmaterial 17 into the wide entrance aperture 35. The flavouring material17 is conveyed through the tapered guide portion 37 so that theflavouring material 17 is extruded and formed into a compacted rod as itemerges from the narrow exit aperture 36. As the length of flavouringmaterial 17 travels through the garniture 34 and is compressed, thewrapping paper P is folded around the outside of the compressed rod andglue is applied to the seam and heated to activate the glue, such thatwhen the flavouring material 17 exits though the narrow exit aperture 36of the garniture 34, the flavouring material 17 is formed into acompressed cylindrical rod 33 of flavouring material 17 enveloped by thewrapping paper P.

After the wrapped rod 33 of flavouring material 17 exits the wrappingstation 32, it passes to the cutting station 41 where the cutting blade42 cuts the wrapped rod 33 of flavouring material 17 into individuallengths of discrete rods of flavouring material 17 or flavouringcomponents 43.

After the flavouring component 43 exits the cutting station 41, theflavouring component 43 is combined with a tobacco rod and a filter rodto form a smoking article.

A flavouring component 43 of the disclosure manufactured using theabove-described apparatus and method is shown in FIG. 2. The flavouringcomponent 43 is shown in FIG. 2 without the wrapping paper P. Theflavouring component 43 is substantially cylindrical and is continuousin cross-section along its length. It comprises a rod of flavouringmaterial 17 comprising the fibrous web of carrier material 15 and themixture 12 of binder 13 and flavouring particles 14 adhered to thefibres of the web. The fibrous web of flavouring material 17, althoughextruded, comprises spaces between the fibres so that air can flowthrough the fibres. In an alternative arrangement (not shown), theflavouring component 43 could be disposed within a tube.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary configuration of a smoking article 5oincorporating a flavouring component 43 of the disclosure. The smokingarticle 5o comprises a tobacco rod 51, a filter rod 52, and theflavouring component 43 formed by a discrete wrapped rod 33 offlavouring material 17. The flavouring component 43 is located betweenthe tobacco rod 51 and the filter rod 52. A tobacco rod wrap 53 isdisposed about the tobacco rod 51. Likewise, a filter plug wrap 54 isdisposed about the filter rod 52. The filter rod 52 and the flavouringcomponent 43 are held together by means of an outer plug wrap 55. Atipping wrap 56 is disposed about the outer plug wrap 55 and the tobaccorod wrap 53 to hold the tobacco rod 51 along with the flavouringcomponent 43 io and the filter rod 52 together.

An apparatus 70 of a second embodiment for the manufacture of flavouringcomponents of the disclosure is shown in FIG. 4 and is similar to theapparatus 10 of the first embodiment. Like features retain the samereference numerals and a detailed description of such like features willnot be repeated.

A difference with the apparatus 70 of the second embodiment over theapparatus 10 of the first embodiment is that, in the apparatus 70 of thesecond embodiment, the screw conveyor is omitted. Rather, a piston isprovided at the upper aperture 20 of the container. The piston is in theform of a plate 71 substantially parallel to the base portion 18 of thecontainer 11. The plate 71 substantially closes the upper aperture 20 ofthe container 11. The plate 71 comprises an orifice 72 for allowing thecarrier material 15 to be introduced within the container 11. The plate71 is configured to pressurise the mixture 12 and to consequently urgethe mixture 12 towards the outlet 21. As the mixture 12 has a doughyconsistency, the mixture 12 does not overflow through the orifice 72 ofthe plate when the plate pressurises the mixture 12.

An additional difference with the apparatus 70 of the second embodimentover the apparatus 10 of the first embodiment is that, in the apparatusof the second embodiment, the outlet 21 of the container 11 comprises adie 73. The die 73 is configured to shape the flavouring material 17 asit is expelled through the outlet 21, to form the rod 33 of flavouringmaterial 17. The die 73 is configured to form a cylindrical rod 33 offlavouring material 17. However, various different configurations of dueare intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

After passing through the die 73, the length of flavouring material 17is wrapped at a wrapping station 32 as per the first embodiment of theapparatus 10 of the disclosure described previously.

Following the wrapping station 32, the rod 33 of flavouring material 17is cut into discrete rods of flavouring material 17 at a cutting station41 as per the first embodiment of the apparatus 10 of the disclosuredescribed previously.

In a variant, the die could have an internal profile configured toprovide a helical profile to the rod 33 of flavouring material 17. Ahelical rod 75 of flavouring material 17 formed using such a die isrepresented in FIG. 5. Providing a helical rod 75 of flavouring material17 may allow the flavouring particles 14 to adhere more efficiently tothe carrier material 15.

The apparatuses and the methods of the disclosure provide an alternativeand efficient way of manufacturing flavouring components for smokingarticles. In particular, the apparatuses and the methods of thedisclosure allow manufacturing flavouring component in which theflavourant particles are embedded in a fibrous carrier material.Therefore, the apparatuses and the methods of the disclosure avoidhaving to implement a step of filling the flavourant particles in tubes,which can be relatively costly, time consuming and difficult toimplement in a continuous horizontal process.

As used herein, the term “smoking article” includes smokeable productssuch as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos whether based on tobacco,tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobaccosubstitutes and also heat-not-burn products and other nicotine deliveryproduct such as aerosol generation devices including e-cigarettes. Thesmoking article may be provided with a filter for the gaseous flow drawnby the smoker.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety ofthis disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments inwhich the claimed disclosure(s) may be practiced and provide forsuperior flavouring component and apparatus and method of manufacture aflavouring component for a smoking article. The advantages and featuresof the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only,and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only toassist in understanding and teach the claimed features. It is to beunderstood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features,structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to beconsidered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims orlimitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments maybe utilised and modifications may be made without departing from thescope and/or spirit of the disclosure. Various embodiments may suitablycomprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations ofthe disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc.In addition, the disclosure includes other disclosures not presentlyclaimed, but which may be claimed in future.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flavouring component for a smoking article, theflavouring component comprising a rod of flavouring material, theflavouring material comprising a carrier material and flavouringparticles adhered to the carrier material by means of a binder, whereinthe flavouring material is formed by passing the carrier materialthrough a mixture comprising the binder and the flavouring particles. 2.A flavouring component according to claim 2, wherein the carriermaterial is a fibrous web and wherein the flavouring particles adhere tothe fibres of the web.
 3. A flavouring component according to claim 1,wherein the carrier material is made from one of the followingmaterials: aluminium, tobacco, ceramic, cotton.
 4. A flavouringcomponent according to claim 1, wherein the mixture through which thecarrier material is passed to form the flavouring material has a doughyconsistency.
 5. A flavouring component according to claim 1, wherein theflavouring component comprises a discrete rod of flavouring material cutfrom a continuous rod of flavouring material.
 6. A flavouring componentaccording to claim 1, wherein the flavouring component comprises anouter wrap around the rod of flavouring material.
 7. A smoking articlecomprising: a rod of smokeable material, a filter rod, and a flavouringcomponent according to claim
 1. 8. A smoking article according to claim7, wherein the flavouring component is disposed between the filter rodand the rod of smokeable material.